Upper Tamar Lake shortlisted in national awards

Upper Tamar Lake, near Bude has been shortlisted alongside 11 other businesses from across Devon and Cornwall for this year's coveted Green Tourism Goldstar Awards.

Tamar Lakes are managed by South West Lakes Trust whose challenge is to balance conservation with recreational enjoyment of the lakes as a visitor attraction. The lakes offer visitors a tranquil retreat into the countryside and a peaceful alternative to the busyness of the coast with a wealth of wildlife to discover and bird hides located at both lakes. There are many miles of easy going walks, meandering through woodland and extending to the inland sections of the Bude Canal trails from Lower Tamar Lake while Upper Tamar offers a level, 3 mile, circular multi use path suitable for walkers, buggies, wheelchair users and bicycles enabling easy access to the great outdoors for all.

The family friendly site offers something for everyone including a delightful café serving light lunches, Dunstaple Farm ice cream and Cornish cream teas, a children's play area, pedalos, zorb balls and rowing as well as tuition, launch and equipment hire for kayaking, sailing and windsurfing. In addition Anglers can fish for carp, bream, rudd, perch and roach.

Colin Vallance, Heritage and Operations Director for South West Lakes Trust, said "We are thrilled that Upper Tamar has been shortlisted for the Goldstar Awards. This is a fantastic recognition of the hard work that our employees and volunteers put in to ensure Tamar offers a special place for both locals and visitors to enjoy whilst making sure that the impact on our environment is minimised."

"We are committed to continual improvement and some of the initiatives which have been implemented include: recycling, energy and water reduction, installation of solar panels and local purchasing as well as our ongoing habitat management work and provision of low impact recreational activity which promotes health and well-being including a new multi-use path around the lake."

South West Lakes Trust is the region's largest combined recreational and conservation charity. The Trust manages conservation of the environment and built heritage, sustainable recreation, education and public access on and around over 50 inland waters in Devon, Cornwall and West Somerset. In 2014, for the second time, the Trust received the Queens Award for Enterprise in the Sustainable Development category demonstrating recognition of its success in sustainability over a number of years.

The 11 finalists in Devon and Cornwall for the Goldstar Award account for the highest number from any area of the UK and are among 60 UK finalists drawn from a total of 2,400 nominations for 13 award categories.

Now in its fourth year the annual awards aim to honour those businesses and organisations that have done the most to promote sustainability within the industry by implementing cost-saving practices that help the environment, improve customer services and benefit the bottom line. The winners of each category will be announced at the Green Tourism Annual conference on 10 November.

Andrea Nicholas, Director of Green Tourism, said: "The Goldstar Awards are a recognition of the best of the best in Britain when it comes to creating and maintaining a thriving sustainable tourism industry. The standard has been exceptionally high this year and every one of the shortlisted finalists have shown a dedicated commitment to providing consumers with great service and value for money while at the same time championing the cause of sustainability."

Green Tourism was launched 17 years ago and is now the biggest of its kind in the world having helped nearly 10,000 businesses improve their commitment to sustainability. It is considered one of the most rigorous of its kind and is the only certification programme independently validated by the International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT) on behalf of VisitEngland, VisitWales and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, and endorsed by VisitScotland and Failte Ireland.

The organisation has become a world leader in highlighting the importance of protecting environments, respecting local cultures, supporting communities, conserving natural resources and minimising pollution.